Why you decide the way you do

Abstract

This article presents highlights of a handful of recent scholarly articles that offer intriguing insights into decision making from several disciplines. Too many choices or too many features per choice can cause people to delay decisions or make less-than-optimal choices. Recent research into how individuals process information offers some promising suggestions for dealing with information overload. The key may involve psychological distancing, removing oneself from the morass of details surrounding a decision and considering the choices on a more abstract level. Psychological distancing isn't appropriate for every situation. In instances where people are expected to recall and piece together specific details (for example, jury trials or investigations), it may be harmful. But in many circumstances involving information overload, it can result in better decisions

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